2. Writing the Sections of a Scientific Paper
2.5. Conclusion
Skeleton
One paragraph statement of the point of the paper
2.5.1. End Your Paper with a Firm Conclusion, the Essential Point of the Paper
Each scientific article should equal one or two main ideas. These should be stated in the Conclusion. The Introduction of the paper gives the current scientific context of these ideas, the Discussion shows how your data lead to or support the ideas, and the Conclusion summarizes the ideas in one succinct paragraph. Some journals use a format that includes a section labeled “Conclusion” or “Summary,” otherwise add your Conclusion to the very end of the Discussion.
When you first face the Conclusion section of your paper, you should already have a draft of the Discussion. The Discussion moves from your specific observations to more general statements related to the work of others. For your Conclusion, take the recap from the beginning of your Discussion and the general statements from the end, and forge a single uncluttered paragraph.
Discussion recap
Conclusion general statements
Example of a Conclusion:
Conclusion
Our intensification of standard Bodian stained cells can outline fine cell pro-cesses in tissue sections and in fixed tissue cultures. The details of individual growth cones of cultured neurons are especially clearly stained and can be seen well with light microscopy.
2.5.2. Conclusions From Many Papers
Here, from a variety of scientific articles, are examples of straightforward Conclu-sions that clearly state the points of the papers.
r A report describing the movements of neighboring cells in tissue culture (Abercrom-bie and Heaysman, 1954):
It is concluded that fibroblasts avoid moving over each other’s surfaces. Such
“contact-inhibition” of movement can explain why it is that fibroblasts normally
migrate predominantly radially from an explant and that the whole culture tends rapidly to become circular in plan whatever its initial form.
r A report on using high doses of cytosine arabinoside (HiDAC) to keep patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in continuous complete remission (CCR) (Bohm et al., 2005):
Together, our data provide further evidence that post-remission therapy with HiDAC is a safe and effective consolidation treatment for AML patients in CR aged less than 60 years. The optimal number of consolidation cycles and the subgroups of patients who benefit most from this regimen remain to be defined in forthcoming trials.
r A report on using the tri-block polymer P188 6 hr after a spinal cord injury in a mammal to increase the function and heal the structure of the spinal cord: (PEG = polyethylene glycol, ROS= free radicals, LPO = lipid peroxidation) (Borgens et al., 2004)
In summary, P188 may be a free radical scavenger (Marks et al., 2001), whereas PEG is not. They both, however, directly reduce ROS and LPO in the damaged nervous system. Furthermore, they both provide neuro-protection to injured spinal cord and thus will continue to be investigated as potential therapies, simple to apply, for various forms of neurotrauma.
r A report consolidating evidence of the speed of extinction of North American di-nosaurs: (K-T= Cretaceous-Tertiary period boundary) (Fastovsky and Sheehan, 2005)
In the 25 years since Alvarez et al., (1980) first proposed that an impact was re-sponsible for the K-T extinctions, stratigraphic and paleoecologic evidence have come together to present a reasonably cohesive picture of a quick demise of the di-nosaurs. Evidence from the rates of dinosaur extinction suggests that the extinction was geologically instantaneous; this conclusion in combination with the nature of the post-Cretaceous biologic recovery suggests that the extinction occurred on an extremely short, irresolvable time scale. While the exact killing mechanisms may or may not yet have been identified, all the data—including the rate of extinction, the nature of the recovery, and the patterns of survivorship—are concordant with the hypothesis of extinction by asteroid impact.
r A report on cerebral suppression of sound in the opposite ear in split-brain patients (Milner et al., 1968):
The fact that all the commissurotomized patients were able to report digits pre-sented to the left ear without difficulty, when there was no competing input from the right ear, shows that the ipsilateral pathway could be utilized. The suppression of ipsilateral input in the presence of a competing stimulus from the contralateral ear provides clear behavioral evidence of the dominance of the contralateral audi-tory projection system in man, a finding for which there is by now considerable
electrophysiological (5) and some behavioral (6) support from work with lower species.
r A report on the effects of three natural agonists on the contraction of smooth muscle in lung airways (Perez and Sanderson, 2005): (SMC= smooth muscle cell)
In conclusion, intrapulmonary airways respond to 5-HT and ACH with a contraction that is maintained by high frequency Ca2+oscillations within the SMCs that arise from repetitive cycles of Ca2+release and uptake by the SR and require extracellular Ca2+for store refilling. By contrast, KCl-induced twitching of SMCs results from low frequency Ca2+oscillations produced by an overfilling and uncontrolled release of internal Ca2+. Most importantly, the magnitude of the contraction of airway SMCs is regulated by the frequency of the Ca2+oscillations.
r A report examining the effect of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors on healing after periodontal surgery: (BOP= bleeding on probing, ICTP = marker for level of bone resorption, LDD= low dose doxycycline, PD = probing depth) (Gapski et al., 2004) Six-month administration of LDD suggests that there is an enhanced postsurgical wound healing compared to placebo controls with regard to PD reduction. This positive effect was most marked in deep sites (≥7 mm), where the differences in PD reduction were maintained until the completion of the trial. Reductions in the bone resorption marker ICTP were also found in patients while on the drug, suggesting the potential of LDD to act as a bone-sparing agent. In addition, the percentage of BOP sites was affected by LDD therapy, but this effect was only noticeable during the period of the drug administration. Finally, no significant shifts on the periodontal microbiota beyond that attributable to the effects of the surgery could be seen with the utilization of LDD.
r A report examining the ultrasound echogenicity of the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease: (PD = Parkinson’s disease, SN = substantia nigra, TCS = transcranial ultrasound) (Berg et al., 2001)
Our study demonstrates that TCS may serve as a valuable tool in the neuroimaging of PD providing easily available information in addition to other neuroimaging data.
Because of the lack of invasiveness and the relatively low cost, it is particularly useful for an application to a large number of patients. Further studies are required to determine whether differences in the echogenicity of the SN in PD patients may display differences in the genetic background or other patho-genetical factors of the disease.
r A report on the cellular processes that bring about healing of finger tip injury in monkeys (Singer et al., 1987):
We conclude that repair of amputated distal digits does not occur in the same manner as in lower vertebrates. Our results confirm earlier reports in the human (see references in Introduction) that the conservative open wound management of patients with such injuries is a satisfactory method which usually produces a cosmetically attractive, normally sensitive and useful digit.